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Home  » Get Ahead » Recipes: The best street foods in Mumbai

Recipes: The best street foods in Mumbai

By Reshma Aslam
May 18, 2016 17:07 IST
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Reshma Aslam lists the best street food recipes from Mumbai. You can share yours too!

Misal Pav

Misal Pav

IMAGE: Misal Pav Photograph: Abhijit Patil/Creative Commons

Ingredients

For masala

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/4 cup fine sliced onions
  • 1/4 cup dry coconut grated
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 25 mm stick cinnamon
  • 2 dry kashmiri red chillies
  • 3 garlic cloves

For misal

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 cup onions finely chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 cups mixed bean sprouts
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp coriander finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup mixed farsan
  • 1/2 cup potatoes
  • 4 pavs or bread slices
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup water

Method

For masala

  • Take a pan and heat the oil in it.
  • Add onions and coconut and dry roast it on slow flame for 3 minutes.
  • Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, red chillies, garlic cloves and saute it for 4 minutes.
  • Remove it from the flame and let it cool by keeping it aside
  • Once the mixture cools down, blend it using a mixie without any water and keep it aside.

For misal

  • Heat some oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds.
  • When the seeds start to crackle, add onions and saute on a slow flame for 2 minutes.
  • Add the masala which was kept aside and sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
  • Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and 1 tsp water.
  • Mix the contents well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Keep on stirring it continuously.
  • Add the sprouts now and mix it very well.
  • Add two cups of hot water and salt, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
  • Allow all the steam to escape from the cooker before opening the lid.
  • Add chilli powder, water and coriander.
  • Mix well and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

How to serve

  • Pour some misal in a serving bowl.
  • Sprinkle some farsan, some chopped onions and some coriander over it.
  • Serve with pav or bread.

Poori Bhaji

Poori Bhaji

IMAGE: Poori Bhaji Photograph: Yummy O Yummy/Creative Commons

Ingredients

For poori

  • 2 cups wheat flour
  • 1 tsp ghee or oil depending on the choice
  • Salt to taste
  • Little water
  • Oil for deep frying

For bhaji

  • 3 medium sized potatoes
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp urad dal
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • A pinch of asafoetida
  • 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, chopped
  • 12-15 curry leaves
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt to taste
  • 3/4 cup water

Method

For poori

  • Seive the flour with salt. Add melted ghee or oil.
  • Add little water and knead it to form dough.
  • Divide the dough into small portions.
  • Make it into small balls and roll out into small circles.
  • Heat some oil for deep frying.
  • Fry one poori at a time in the pan.
  • Gently press it down using spoon in circular pattern
  • When one side has cooked and turned light brown, turn over the other side and fry it till it turns golden brown.

For bhaji

  • Boil and cook all the potatoes.
  • Once they are warm, peel them and cut them in small pieces.
  • In a pan, heat the oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.
  • Keep on frying till the mustard seeds start to crackle and the mixture turns brown.
  • Add the chopped onion and keep on frying till it becomes transparent.
  • Add ginger and green chillies and further fry for two minutes.
  • Add curry leaves while stirring and fry for some more seconds
  • Add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
  • Let it fry for some more seconds.
  • Add potatoes and half of the coriander leaves.
  • Keep stirring.
  • Add water and salt. Stir and cover the pan.
  • Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame.
  • Add remaining coriander leaves.
  • Serve with pooris.

Dabeli

Dabeli

IMAGE: Dabeli Photograph: Aparna Rao 72/ Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

For homemade dabeli masala

  • 3 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 5 to 7 dry red chilli whole
  • 6 to 7 cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

For dabeli

  • 4 to 5 boiled potatoes, mashed
  • 2 tbsp dabeli masala
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup masala peanuts (optional, for garnishing)
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnishing)
  • 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves (for garnishing)
  • 1/2 cup gram flour sev (optional, for garnishing)
  • 2 onions chopped (for garnishing)
  • 1/4 grated coconut (optional, for garnishing)
  • 2 tsp butter
  • Juice of a lime
  • Salt as per taste
  • 4 to 5 pavs or bread pieces
  • 3 tsp oil
  • Water

Method

For homemade dabeli masala

  • Dry roast all the ingredients of the masala except kashmiri chilli powder in a microwave for one minute or on gas tawa for 5 minutes
  • When cool, grind it in mixie until powder consistency is obtained
  • Add the red chilli powder.
  • Mix well and store in an airtight container.

For dabeli

  • Heat oil in a pan and add the dabeli masala.
  • Add some water, add boiled potatoes and mix well.
  • Add sugar, lime juice, salt and little water. Mix thoroughly and take it off the gas.
  • Take a plate and spread the potato mixture well over it
  • Garnish with masala peanuts, grated coconut, sev, onions, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander.
  • Dabeli is ready.

How to serve

  • Take a pav, split it in between, take some portion of the above filling and spread it properly.
  • In a pan, heat some butter.
  • Roast the pav on both the sides till it becomes crispy brown.
  • Serve hot.

Vada Pav

Vada Pav

IMAGE: Vada Pav Photograph: Ranjitha Deepesh/Creative Commons

Ingredients

For vada batter

  • 1 cup gram flour
  • 1 tsp corn flour
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of soda bi-carb
  • 1 cup water for batter consistency

For vada

  • 5 to 6 boiled and mashed potatoes
  • Few curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic chilli paste
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 pav
  • Green chutney or some spicy masala

Method

For vada

  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds.
  • When they start to crackle, add curry leaves.
  • Add ginger garlic chilli paste, sauté for a minute. Add salt, turmeric powder.
  • Remove from gas and add it to mashed potatoes in a bowl.
  • Add chopped coriander and mix it well.
  • When it cools, form small round balls using the palm of the hands and keep aside.

For vada batter

  • Take a bowl, add gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
  • Make a batter by using little by little water until it is smooth and of pouring consistency.
  • Lastly add a pinch of soda bi-carb and keep it aside.

Method

  • Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
  • Dip each ball of vada in the batter and deep fry it till it becomes golden brown.
  • Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.

How to serve

  • Take a pav, slit it from between and apply green chutney or any other spicy masala on either side.
  • Place the vada in between and serve.

Ragda Pattice

Ragda Pattice

IMAGE: Ragda Pattice Photograph: Ravi Talwar/ Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

For ragda

  • 1 cup white peas soaked overnight
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 4 to 5 green chillies, chopped cut fine
  • Salt to taste
  • Water for cooking

For pattice

  • 4 to 5 boiled potatoes mashed
  • 1 tbsp garlic and chilli paste
  • 1 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tbsp oil for frying

Method

For ragda

  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
  • Add mustard seeds and as they start to crackle, add chopped onions and chillies.
  • Fry till the onions turn pink.
  • Add white peas.
  • Add salt and water enough for peas to cook.
  • Close the lid and pressure cook till 2 to 3 whistles.
  • Remove from the gas and ragda is ready and keep it aside

For pattice

  • Mix all the ingredients of pattice in a mixing bowl except oil.
  • Make small balls and flatten it using the palm of the hands.
  • In a pan, add some oil and fry each ball till it turns nice and golden.

How to serve

  • In a plate, assemble two pattice.
  • Pour little quantity of ragda over it.
  • Garnish wish coriander leaves, tamarind chutney, some sev and 2 to 3 crushed puris.
  • Serve.

ALSO SEE

Kacha Aam Paratha and more flatbread recipes

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Reshma Aslam